Conservation Areas

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many conservation areas there are in Northern Ireland and how many in Scotland.

Baroness Amos: There are 57 conservation areas in Northern Ireland. The number of conservation areas in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Executive.

Palestinian Negotiations Affairs Department

Lord Clarke of Hampstead: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, following the publication on 26 January of the Department for International Development consultancy contracts issued since 1997 (think tanks), they have a full breakdown of how the Palestinian Negotiations Affairs Department has spent the £9,131,555 provided to it by DfID since 1999; and
	Following the publication on 26 January of the Department for International Development consultancy contracts issued since 1997 (think tanks), what mechanisms were put in place to hold the Palestinian Negotiations Affairs Department and the Palestinian Authority leadership accountable for the £9,131,555 invested since 1999 so as to ensure that it was not used in an inappropriate manner.

Baroness Amos: DfID does not fund the Palestinian Negotiations Affairs Department directly. Our support is delivered through a contract with ASI Ltd which is accountable to us for the use of our funding against an agreed budget and objectives for the operations of a negotiations support unit (NSU). We maintain a full record of expenditure under our contract with ASI Ltd in its management of the NSU. Invoices are submitted monthly which set out expenditure against agreed contract parameters. Our funding pays for technical assistance provided by international and local consultants, and the operational costs of NSU's office. Our contractual agreement with ASI Ltd is clear about the objective of the project, and the nature of activities to be funded. We have established arrangements for formal monitoring against agreed workplans, and are currently finalising plans to integrate this process with the four other governments, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands and Denmark, that provide complementary funding.
	The purpose of the project is to provide professional legal, technical, policy and communications advice to the Palestinian Authority in preparation for, and during, permanent status negotiations with Israel. Following the breakdown of formal negotiations the NSU has broadened its role by seeking to encourage the resumption of permanent status negotiations by contributing to a variety of diplomatic peace initiatives. The project supports those in the Palestinian Authority who are committed to peace. We have no reason to doubt that all project activities have been consistent with these objectives.

Crumlin Road Courthouse, Belfast

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they expect the decision about planning permission for the redevelopment of the Crumlin Road Courthouse building in Belfast to be available.

Baroness Amos: The Planning Service is currently processing two planning applications for the conversion of the former courthouse and offices.
	Additional information required to enable the applications to be determined was recently received from the applicant and is currently being considered. The Planning Service will continue to process the applications as expeditiously as possible.

House of Lords: Public Display of Documents

The Earl of Sandwich: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What plans there are for the conservation and public display of original records and constitutional documents in the House of Lords; which documents will in future be displayed in their original form; and which as facsimiles.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The Record Office has recently replaced the document display cases in the Royal Gallery with new cases, approved by the Works of Art Committee, which are designed to meet professional standards for the display of original records. In future, displays will be changed regularly in order to protect the documents against the risk to their long-term preservation from over-exposure to light. These arrangements, which were agreed by the Administration and Works Sub-Committee in 2002, will enable a broader cross-section of the rich constitutional, legislative and historical content of the archives of both Houses to be viewed by visitors on the line of route.
	Certain documents of significant historical and constitutional interest, such as the death warrant of Charles I (1649), the articles of union between England and Scotland (1706), and the draft Declaration of Rights (1689), have had to be returned to the archives for conservation reasons after many years of public display. Good quality images of such documents will instead be featured in a panel above the cases. The Record Office is investigating the options for the production of facsimile copies of these documents.

Entente Cordiale

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have, at a parliamentary level, to celebrate the centenary of the Entente Cordiale.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: As part of Her Majesty The Queen's state visit to France in April to mark the centenary of the Entente Cordiale, the Presidents of the French Assemblee Nationale and the Senat have offered to host a joint reception on 6 April in Her Majesty The Queen's honour in the Senat building, the Palais de Luxembourg. They intend to invite all the French deputes and senateurs. They have indicated that they would like to invite 100 parliamentarians from the UK.
	The plan is that two groups—one of around 50 MPs and another of around 50 Peers—could travel to Paris to spend the day with their counterpart House, including perhaps a lunch and an afternoon in the House plenary, before participation in the reception for Her Majesty The Queen.

Trafficking People

Baroness Ludford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many convictions have been secured in the United Kingdom in each of the last three years for the offence of trafficking in human beings.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act received Royal Assent in November 2002, and Sections 145 and 146, which cover trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation, came into force on 10 February 2003. Data on numbers of prosecutions under these sections will be collected and published in due course. Given that the powers came into effect recently there is not any information yet held centrally about numbers of prosecutions. Statistics of court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the autumn of 2004. The maximum sentence for this offence will be 14 years.
	More wide-ranging offences covering trafficking into, within and out of the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation are included in the Sexual Offences Act 2003. We anticipate these offences coming into force in May 2004. In addition to this, an offence of trafficking for the purposes of exploitation, including trafficking for the purposes of forced labour and the removal of organs, has been included in the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill, which is currently before Parliament. The maximum sentence for all these offences will be 14 years.

Metropolitan Police: London Parks

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In which London parks, for which they are responsible for policing, the Metropolitan Police regularly patrol in cars or motorcyles along footpaths.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis informs me that the Metropolitan Police service does not have specific responsibility for policing parks in London over and above the normal requirement to respond to calls for assistance. If called upon for assistance, or deployed to deter crime and arrest offenders in known hot spot areas, the Metropolitan Police service may patrol on foot or in motorised vehicles depending on the operational requirement.

Licensed Premises: Attacks on People

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many calls were made to the police in 2003 relating to violence against the person on, or in the vicinity of, licensed premises in Greater London by local authority area.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The information requested is not collected.

House of Lords Reform

Lord Strathclyde: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the statement by the Lord Filkin on "how we intend to move forward to the second stage of reform of this House and to the subsequent stages of reform that will also be required. Before long we shall look forward to sharing those views with the House" (Official Report, 4 February, col. 657), when their proposals for stage 2 will be published; and whether they will be published before any Bill to alter the composition of the House of Lords is introduced.

Lord Filkin: The Government intend to bring forward legislation shortly to enact the reforms we consulted on in the consultation paper Constitutional reform: Next steps for the House of Lords. Separately from these proposals, the Government are actively encouraging wider debate on the possible avenues for longer-term reform for this House.

Charities

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which organisations are treated as charities for taxation purposes without coming under the regulatory jurisdiction of the Charity Commission; and why they are so treated.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: There are a number of charities in England and Wales which do not come under the full regulatory jurisdiction of the Charity Commission. These are exempt charities, which include, among others, most universities and national museums; excepted charities, such as some of the Protestant Churches; and those with an income below £1,000 per annum (unless they have a permanent endowment or the use or occupation of land).
	A full list of classes of exempt charities is in Schedule 2 to the Charities Act 1993. Excepted charities are enacted by regulations made under Section 3(5)(b) of the Charities Act 1993.
	None of these organisations has to register with the Charity Commission, nor submit an annual report or annual accounts. The Charity Commission has differing powers to inquire of and investigate these charities, but these are limited in nature, particularly in respect of exempt charities.
	The Government believe that this situation is no longer justified and the Charities Bill currently being drafted will bring greater regulatory oversight of these organisations as charities.
	Charities in Scotland and Northern Ireland are not regulated by the Charity Commission but benefit from tax exemptions by virtue of their charitable status. The Inland Revenue decides whether bodies in Scotland and Northern Ireland are charities for tax purposes, using the same principles of charity law as the Charity Commission.

Marriage

Lord Northbourne: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have made an estimate of the annual cost to the Exchequer of marriage breakdown in the United Kingdom.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: In 1999 the then Lord Chancellor commissioned Sir Graham Hart to carry out a review of the funding of the marriage and relationship support. His report, Funding of Marriage Support, is available of the DCA website (http://www.dca.gov.uk). The Government have not commissioned specific research into the cost to the Exchequer of marital breakdown.

Road Fuel

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much road fuel, by value and by quantity, was sold in financial year 2002–03, broken down between (a) leaded petrol; (b) unleaded petrol; (c) diesel; and (d) fuel from other sources.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Figures for the quantity and value of road fuel demand in the financial year 2002–03 are presented in the table below:
	
		
			  Quantity (million tonnes) Value (£ billion) 
			 Lead Replacement  Petrol 0.4 0.4 
			 Unleaded Petrol 19.7 20.1 
			 DERV fuel 0.1 0.1 
			 LPG 0.1 0.1 
		
	
	The Auto-Oil Directive banned the general sale of leaded petrol from 1 January 2000. Since then leaded petrol has been replaced by lead replacement petrol (LRP) which is lead-free.
	Liquid petrol gas (LPG) is the only other road fuel and data have been sourced from HM Customs and Excise figures.
	The DTI publishes demand and price information for petroleum products in the quarterly Energy Trends and Energy Prices publications. The most recent editions for December 2003 were published on 8 January 2004 and are available in the House of Lords Library. Table 3.5 of Energy Trends contains demand for key petroleum products including petrol and derv while Energy Prices table 4.1.1 contains details of key road fuel prices.

Whale Protection: Sakhalin Energy

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What arrangements they are making to ensure that any guarantees provided by the United Kingdom Export Credits Guarantee Department for oil and gas projects adjacent to Sakhalin in Russia undertaken by Shell, Sakhalin Energy and other interests are conditional upon effective safeguards to enhance the protection of grey whales.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Government are aware of the potential impacts that the Sakhalin II project may have on the western grey whales. My right honourable friend the Minister for Trade has written to Sakhalin Energy making clear the importance that we attach to ensuring that these are properly minimised and that the best scientific advice is being followed. In determining this, ECGD officials will be taking advice from recognised independent whale experts and will take into account the views of interested NGOs.
	It is expected that details of the whale protection measures agreed with Sakhalin Energy will be published and that compliance with them would be a contractual obligation on the company. Qualified consultants would monitor compliance with these obligations on behalf of ECGD and the other lenders, should support be eventually agreed.

Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations

Lord Wedderburn of Charlton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will provide an opportunity for Parliament to debate the draft Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations before the coming into force of pending legislation which will give them power to make those regulations.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: A public consultation on draft regulations took place in 2003. Members of both Houses will be able to debate the regulations as the Employment Relations Bill proceeds through Parliament and the regulations will then be subjected to the affirmative resolution procedure.

Health Cash Plan Providers

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 20 January (WA 133), why the Department of Health does not collect information on (a) substantial donations from not-for-profit providers of health cash plans to the National Health Service, and (b) the numbers of individual National Health Service patients who benefit from such plans; and whether they will do so in future; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 20 January (WA 133), what assessment they have made of the role which can be played by not-for-profit providers of health cash plans in helping low-income and other National Health Service patients to meet increasing hotel charges, loss of earnings and other expenses associated with hospitalisation; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 20 January (WA 133), whether they collect any information about the numbers of National Health Service patients whose charges for optical and dental treatment are met annually by not-for-profit providers of health cash plans; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 20 January (WA 133), what assessment they have made of the role of not-for-profit providers of health cash plans in supporting National Health Service patients; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 20 January (WA 133), what plans they have to involve not-for-profit providers of health cash plans in meeting the travel and accommodation expenses of family members visiting hospitalised relatives who opt for medical treatment away from their home area in accordance with developing government policy initiatives.

Lord Warner: The Department of Health has no plans to engage with not-for-profit providers of health cash plans regarding the provision of schemes and assistance outlined in these questions, nor does it collect information about the level of participation in such schemes. This has never been an issue for departmental involvement and the department does not wish to burden the National Health Service with collection of information for which it has no direct business need.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the criteria for entry to the PACE trials for individuals suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis currently being funded by the Medical Research Council and the Department of Health.

Lord Warner: PACE (Pacing, Activity and Cognitive behaviour therapy: a randomised Evaluation) is one of two trials being funded by the Medical Research Council which will look at the effectiveness of various treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.
	The criteria for entry to the trials have not yet been finalised.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 11 February (HL 1179), whether they will define the Action for ME (AfME) chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis clinical network project; whether they will define "all those in the field"; how knowledge is to be accessed; and between whom best practice will be shared.

Lord Warner: Action for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis clinical network project is intended to link clinicians, commissioners, voluntary organisations and patients. It will help to share knowledge of good practice in service delivery, draw together and learn from local initiatives, identify needs and gaps and stimulate planning to meet them.
	It is intended that knowledge will be accessed during the project by bringing together patients, clinicians and commissioners at meetings to share their wealth of experience and knowledge of methods of best practice. Subsequently during these meetings, overlapping aims can be identified and useful discussions held which will lead to work plans and goals being drawn up. The production of guidelines written for other organisations looking to run a similar project will further enable knowledge to be accessed.
	Best practice will be shared between patient groups, strategic health authorities and primary care trusts in planning and developing services for people with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Deafblind People

Lord Ashley of Stoke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many local authorities provide what they consider to be appropriate services to deafblind people; and
	How many local authorities provide one-on-one support for deafblind people.

Lord Warner: The Social Services Inspectorate's delivery and improvement statement for autumn 2003 shows that 42.7 per cent of local authorities are providing services that are specifically appropriate to deafblind people. A further 30 per cent are providing special elements for deafblind people within a single sensory impairment service, while another 14 per cent have a single sensory impairment service with some modifications for deafblind people.

Deafblind People

Lord Ashley of Stoke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many and what proportion of local authorities are known to have identified and made contact with deafblind people in their care; and how many have answered the needs of deafblind people; and
	How many local authorities have a senior manager who has responsibility for deafblind services.

Lord Warner: The Social Services Inspectorate's delivery and improvement statements for autumn 2003 show that 82 per cent of local authorities have a database in place to assist the identification of deafblind people in their area. It also shows that 148 (98.7 per cent of) local authorities in England have a senior manager with designated responsibility for deafblind services. No information is held centrally about making contact with and addressing the needs of deafblind people.

NHS: Recipient Transplant Co-ordinators

Baroness Masham of Ilton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they agree with the practice of National Health Service hospitals in sharing recipient transplant co-ordinators.

Lord Warner: Donor transplant co-ordinators work in zonal teams; that is a region or part of a region. Recipient transplant co-ordinators, whose principle role is to help transplant recipients, are based in transplant units. Recipient transplant co-ordinators are employed locally by individual trusts which have organ transplant units.

Obesity

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 9 February (WA 130), whether they will clarify the number of incapacity benefit beneficiaries who have a diagnoses of obesity.

Lord Warner: I regret that my reply of 9 February (WA130–131) is incorrect.
	The penultimate paragraph of the answer stated that 900,000 people claiming contributory incapacity benefit (IB) were diagnosed as obese. This failure should have read 900 people and relates only to people who receive IB as a result of obesity.

Hare Coursing

Lord Fearn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps are being taken to bring in legislation to ban hare coursing.

Lord Whitty: Hare coursing is currently illegal if it involves trespass. The Hunting Bill, which was passed by the House of Commons during the last Session but which this House did not pass, would have banned hare coursing events. The Government are committed to resolving the issue of hunting, including hare coursing, during this Parliament.

Temik

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many thefts of Temik (10 per cent Aldicarb) have occurred in the United Kingdom to the knowledge of the Pesticides Safety Directorate since September 2001; what quantities were stolen; how much has been recovered; and whether copies of the field reports of all investigated incidents will be placed in the Library of the House.

Lord Whitty: The Pesticide Safety Directorate is aware of two thefts of Temik since September 2001.
	Fifty four 20 kg drums were reported stolen from a lorry in Suffolk in February 2003. In the second case, three 10 kg boxes were stolen from a farm in Selby, Yorkshire in March 2003.
	No material was recovered in either case. Both were investigated by the local police and copies of their reports will be placed in the Library of the House.

Temik

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether stolen Temik (10 per cent Aldicarb) could be used to contaminate public water supplies; and, if so, what action has been taken to prevent or detect such an occurrence.

Lord Whitty: Water companies have security precautions in place at their sites to protect them from attack, including contamination of supply, as well as procedures for responding to incidents. Details of these arrangements are not disclosed for security reasons. The quality of potable water is also continually monitored to ensure it meets the prescribed standards.

Science Advisory Council

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Science Advisory Council for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has a practising veterinary surgeon with current experience with large animals, livestock production and agricultural practice among its members.

Lord Whitty: In appointing members, we looked for those able to contribute to the issues facing the department, not merely in their chosen areas of expertise but also the wider agenda of the department. We expect the council to carry forward much of its work through subgroups and will co-opt appropriate experts, such as practicing veterinary surgeons, as required to provide additional advice. We shall keep the council's workings and membership under review.
	Those members who have a particular background in veterinary matters including large animals, livestock production and agricultural practice include:
	Professor Roy Anderson, FRS, chair of the SAC, who is head of Infectious Disease Epidemiology Department at Imperial College, London. His specialist area of research is infectious disease epidemiology. He possesses broad knowledge of animal husbandry practices gained as an expert in infectious disease epidemiology and through serving on research council and government advisory committees such as Spongiform Encephalopathy Committee, Dangerous Pathogens Committe, Advisory Council on Science and Technology, Health Protection Agency, SARS Advisory Group, the science advisory group to the Civil Contingencies Committee and the Badgers and TB Panel.
	Professor Sir John Marsh, vice-chair of the SAC, who has extensive knowledge of farming and agricultural issues having been dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Food and then director of the Centre for Agricultural Strategy. He is currently president of the British Institute of Agricultural Consultants, chairman of the Council of the Society for the Responsible Use of Resources in Agriculture and on the Land, honorary fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies and the Royal Agricultural Society of England. He has served as president of the Agricultural Economics Society, and has had deep involvement with a wide variety of public committees concerned with agriculture and food.
	Professor Mark Woolhouse, who is currently director of the Centre for Infectious Diseases at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh. His main area of research is veterinary epidemiology. He has served on many advisory groups such as the Defra Independent Scientific Review of Bovine TB, the Scottish Agricultural College Animal Health and Welfare Committee, the Chief Scientist's Advisory Group on foot and mouth disease, the WHO study group on Veterinary Public Health, the Wellcome Trust's Tropical Medicine Interest Group and the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Commitee subgroup on BSE in sheep.
	Professor Christopher Gaskell, FRSM, who is professor of small animal studies and pro-vice chancellor at the University of Liverpool. He has broad knowledge and understanding of veterinary science gained through his research and activities as, for example, chairman of the Veterinary Laboratories Agency science audit, member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, British Veterinary Association and as fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine.
	Professor Philip Lowe, who is director of the Centre for Rural Economy, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and director for the Rural Economy and Land Use Programme of the UK Research Councils. His knowledge broadly covers rural and social science issues.

Railways

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the present division of responsibility between train operators and rolling stock companies provides adequate transparency of costs, represents value for money and allocates resonsibility for train service delays in the most appropriate manner.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Strategic Rail Authority is charged with ensuring that value for money is achieved in the rolling stock field. Whether changes are needed to the present arrangements in this area is among the issues which will be considered as part of the rail review announced by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State on 19 January.